A goal each from Mel Johnson and Lisa Giampalma saw Derby County Ladies sign their season off with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Women's Premier League.

It meant that John Bennett's side finished fifth, matching their previous best placing.

"The most pleasing thing about the game for me was that the players proved they have the necessary resilience to see games out," said Bennett.

"One of things we have said we need to improve on next season is mental toughness and improved game management and both of those were there during the closing stages of the Forest game.

"Next season we need to be more consistent in the delivery of what we saw on Sunday."

Reflecting on a largely successful campaign overall, Bennett said.

"When I came back into the club in the summer, our chief executive asked that we deliver a run in one of the cup competitions and a top five League position in order to get the club back on track after a disappointing campaign last time.

"In addition, he was keen to see the club return to an attractive brand of football and to integrate more players from the academy into the first team."

Ewe Rams achieved all of those, despite what Bennett described as "the worst injury crisis I have come across in all my time in the game."

The club also had the highest average attendance in the WPL.

"The players and coaches, not just at senior level but within the academy should all feel very proud of that, as each has played a part," added Bennett.

Chief executive Duncan Gibb believes the club made a good decision in re-appointing Bennett.

"JB is someone I have always held in the highest regard and it's come as no surprise to me that he has delivered everything asked of him," said Gibb.

"The two people I most admire in the men's game in terms of how they run their football clubs are Huw Jenkins at Swansea and Ben Robinson at Burton Albion and I have looked to replicate elements of what they have achieved and how they have done it during my time at Derby County Ladies.

"If you look at Swansea they have risen from the depths of League Two to becoming an established Premier League club at the same time as playing attractive football.

"Ben has progressed Burton from non-league to the Championship in small achievable steps, as opposed to the type of seismic leaps that, more often than not, are non-sustainable.

"Up until last season we had improved ourselves in each of the last few years, both on and off the pitch. The last campaign was disappointing in terms of our on field progress, so changes needed to be made."

Having got the club's on the field progress back on track, Gibb is excited about the future.

"The demise of Notts County Ladies came as a shock to just about everyone within the game but it has given not just Derby County but the city an opportunity to cement us as the leading light in the East Midlands, in a sport that is soon to overtake rugby as the second most participated sport behind men's football.

"Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and ourselves all operate at Premier League level and will all be vying to stake a claim to being the region's biggest club.

"We are very shortly to announce two significant partnerships with locally-based educational partners that will be the envy of a number of WSL clubs, let alone those at Premier League level.

"We have also held discussions with Derby City Council around whether there is an appetite to make Derby the leading city in the region for the fastest-growing sport in the UK.

"I genuinely believe that if that appetite is there and we keep doing what we are doing, then that can be realised."